To Be Yourself
by FE Girl 1
Summary: Anna could not sleep since she was scared from the battle with Garuda wih Luneth and co. She then reflects on how Arc became helpful with Alus. ArcxOc


**I do not own Final Fantasy III, but I do own Anna! Enjoy!**

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Anna aroused that night at Saronia Castle and looked at Refia, who was sleeping peacefully as she rubbed her light green eyes. The battle with Garuda had her feeling scared since she almost died by his deadly Thunder. It was a very strong attack and had Luneth and Refia unconscious, only having her, Arc, and Ingus left standing to defeat the bird creature. However, she will never forget the part when his sharp talons almost ripped her and Arc's faces off, if it were not for Ingus using Blizzaga to finish the beast off. That was one of the near-death experiences that she had ever faced in her lifetime.

Shuddering, she got up quietly and left the room to get some fresh air, hoping that it would get her to grow tired again and hopefully get her to go back to sleep. The sounds of her feet on the smooth, stone floor made a soft, quiet sound as she walked throughout the dark, quiet halls of the castle. The torched flames lit up some parts of the hallways with their soft, burning sounds. She could hear some of the owls and crickets making their nightly music. The moon in the sky was hiding by the clouds and the land was darkened due to the moon's absence.

The wind was blowing softly as the flames were moving with its flow. Most of the guards were down at the courtyard having a toast for their freedom, while the rest were in their quarters, taking the night off to sleep in their beds. King Alus was busy discussing what will happen to his kingdom with the counselors and his advisers. He grew more confident when he took over the throne shortly after his father's passing. He also gained the confidence from Arc's support, considering that they were quite alike in a lot of ways that Luneth could somewhat know well. Ingus admired the Black Mage for his generosity for helping the young man.

Anna was also impressed of how the shy one of the group could be able to handle something like that. She and Arc do get along well since they have a love for books, but she felt bad for him being picked on just because he hardly had any friends besides Luneth and his foster mother, Nina. He was quite shy around her and it was the same with the others, minus Luneth. She wished to get to know him better so they could be better friends.

Ingus grew quite fond of her, along with the fact that she sees him as a big brother of the whole group, and she and Luneth argue a lot. Refia and Anna are good at magic, but Anna was not at good at cooking as the White Mage does. In short with her thoughts, it was like being part of another family.

Breaking from her thoughts, the light brown-haired girl found herself at the balcony of the east wing of the castle. She looked down at the town after she walked over and saw how wonderful it looks now that peace is restored to the kingdom. The 16-year old looked up at the starless night and saw a bit of the moon as it shown a bit of its face from behind the covers of the clouds, shining a bit of its moonlight to the dark land to brighten it up a little before it is engulfed again.

"I wonder what we're going to go now…" Anna muttered as she looked at the ocean, seeing some land that was far away. "I hope Luneth has an idea tomorrow."

"Anna?" a soft, familiar voice asked from the darkness behind her.

Anna turned and saw a familiar silhouette in the shadows. She squinted her eyes to see who it was and recognized a creamy yellow-colored scarf. She let out a small smile.

She breathed out, "Arc… I guess I am not the only one who is up at this late hour…" She looked away. "That's a relief. I do not like being alone in the dark…"

Arc asked, walking slowly towards her, "…Are you still afraid of the dark?"

"A little, but it's coming along… What are you doing up?"

"… Well… I, uh… I couldn't seem to sleep. Luneth is still asleep…"

Anna let out a soft snort. "Snoozing like hell?"

Arc nodded. "Yes…" He looked up at the sky. "I'm glad that Alus is king. He is a very nice person."

The girl smiled. "He is. He reminds me of you a lot."

The reddish-brown boy blinked a few times. "H-how?"

Anna looked down at her fingers. "Well, he is shy, your age, and not to mention…"

"Mention what?"

"Umm… He is quite adorable and admirable like you are…" Anna could not help but blush at that last comment.

Arc blushed and looked away from the girl. "Th-thank you! N-no one has ever said that to me before… ever…" He glanced at her. "You, uh… You want to… go for a walk with… m-me?"

Glancing back, the brunette nodded with a small smile. "S-sure, I guess…"

They walked through the castle in a slow pace and went all the way to the top of the castle where it had a fantastic view. The breeze blew nicely and the wind whistled a bit as the flags were flapping quietly. Somehow, it was making Anna feel better already and it also made Arc feel great. He likes looking at views like this.

Anna walked over to the end of the area and sighed with content, a smile on her face, and Arc followed suit. "This is wonderful…" she breathed out.

"Yeah," the boy next to her agreed. "It sure is…"

"Um… Arc, can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"What is Ur like?"

Arc let out a smile. "It's wonderful… I like sitting somewhere under a tree and read… Why?"

Anna blushed a little. "Um… I was, uh, wondering if… If you can show me around there when this is over… I would love that…"

The boy nodded. "Sure…"

Their hands soon touched after and they felt a small spark from the contact, which got them to be aware of it. They blushed and Anna was going to pull her hand away when Arc grabbed hold of it. Her heart jumped and her stomach began to churn oddly. Her body felt very tingly inside and her cheeks were as red as the color of Ingus' Red Mage robes. Arc was the same, although he did not look at her eyes.

Then they looked at each other slowly and gazed into each other's eyes. The breeze blew softly and their hair was flowing with it. Arc reached out with his free arm and wrapped it around the slim of her back, gently pulling her towards him a little bit. Anna gasped softly, not knowing what to do.

"Um… Anna, I… I…" Arc looked down, his eyes closed before he looked at her again. "I l-l-l-l… Oh, what the heck!"

He pulled her towards him by the yank of her hand and found her lips with his in a soft kiss, his eyes closed. Anna let out a muffled gasp before she closed her eyes, kissing him back. The two pulled away for air a while later and looked at each other again. Time seemed to have gone slow, just for their moment to last. This was their first kiss and it felt like magic to them. It also felt like an eternity.

Stroking her cheek gently, Arc whispered, brushing his lips on hers again, "Anna, I… I never thought that I would meet someone like you…"

"S-Same here…" Anna admitted.

She reached out and touched where his freckles were and that made the boy blush again, but he also loved the contact! Her fingers started to trace from his cheeks, his soft hair, and then to his lips. Arc grabbed that hand and removed it before he leaned in to capture her lips again, this time having the kiss longer and a bit firm. Their warms bodies touched each other and felt as though they have become one. The two embraced each other, loving every second together.

Slowly, they pulled away again. They smiled and then Anna had her head on his chest, her arms around his torso, while Arc had his arms around her waist, his chin resting on the top of her head.

He whispered softly, "Think we should head back to bed?"

Anna nodded. "Ok…"

The two went back down to their rooms, hand in hand and slept in each other's arms, allowing the world of dreams to embrace the new lovers.


End file.
